Base stand



7- v. J. CARLBERG 2,416,435

BASE STAND Filed Feb.- 26, 1945 INVENTORT VERA/5Y1 CARA BEBE ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UN IT ED STATES PAT'EN T OFF! C E.

I BASE STAND Verne Ji -Carlb'erg, warrentonyMd'. Y Atpiititatrtmay 26, 1945, serial No. 569,865" 2 Claii'nsf (012248-44 My invention relates to holders or base stands for upright articles such as Christmas trees, vflag staffs, and the like, and has particularreference to improvements in holders of the type having jaws whichlare, adaptedxto exert a gripping force on the supported article, effected by the weight thereof; v, p

The'objeo'ts of my'inve 't'i'dn is: to provide" an improvediholder or stand'of thepchara'c'tendescribed which is inexpensive -of manufacture and can be sold at a relatively low price; which can be readily and quickly applied to and removed from a Christmas tree, for example, without the use of tools or auxiliary appliances; which is capable of holding trees having trunk diameters of different size, and which adjusts itself to the particular tree trunk to which it is applied.

A further object resides in the provision of an improved holder of the character stated, which is adapted easily and quickly to be assembled for 20 use, or completely disassembled in a facile manner for compact storage or shipment.

These and other objects and advantages are attained in my improved holder which essentially comprises a center or base plate to which are detachably connected three or more leg members of generally triangular shape. The extremely simple, sturdy construction of the leg supports, and the improved manner in which they are detachably connected to the base plate by a yieldable joint, permitting self-adjustment of the jaw members to the upright object as has been previously mentioned, constitute important features and improvements of the present invention.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a base plate, one of the leg-holding sockets thereof being shown in an uncompleted stage of its formation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a leg member;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the leg member;

Fig. 4 is a'bottom plan view of the leg member;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the leg members (portions of which are broken away) in assembled relation to the base plate;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken at line 66 of Fig. 5, showing the manner in which the device functions to support an upright object; and

Fig. '7 is a transverse section through one of the leg sockets, taken at 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, the base or center plate I0 is a sheet metal stamping. The holder exemplified herein is of tripod variety and hence the center plate is substantially triangular. At the corners of the plate there are provided integral extensions H, a

these] ext'e sif"jsihavingj opp'dsitely re apse, n; erally' projecting. act-es I 2 aslapparsfatjthe right cornerofthe plat, F g. 1; Thelobes' l2 are pent over intheforr'nationof channel shaped sockets which are adaptedto rece'iveiand rigidly hold the supporting. 1e 4, he e nrrentm ends pr the lobes being" space part by opening; 13.1

A woo screw 1 5 is' fixedly secured in snar standing" position to the center of". base plate 0. V

In the'prese'rit' example the securement of the wood screw I5 is accomplished by passing the same upwardly through a center hole I6, sized to receive snugly the neck portions of the screw, and thereafter welding the screw head to the plate, as indicated at IT, so that it becomes an integral part thereof.

The leg members M are produced from strap metal. They are generally triangular and formed by bending the metal to produce a perpendicular portion l1, base portion l8, and hypotenuse portion IS. The hypotenuse l9 continues forwardly beyond the perpendicular portion ll, the extended part being recessed at its end in the I provision of sharp prongs 2| which are'adapted to engage the member mounted in the device. The upper end of the perpendicular leg I1 is joined to the hypotenuse I9 by the provision on the end of the former of a longitudinal extension or finger 22 which is projected through a suitable opening 23 in the hyptoenuse, and then bent so as to lie flatly upon the jaw extension 20 as shown. As will be understood, relatively light-weight strap'metal may be fashioned in the manner described to produce an extremely strong and rigid leg member. I

The corner sockets l3 of the base plate are adapted snugly to receive and to hold the portion I8 of the legs in the manner shown. The

portions l8 are provided with oppositely disposed recesses 24 that define a narrow neck of metal 25 therebetween, and the legs are attached to the center plate by the lateral insertion of the neck portions 25 through the topopening 13 of a socket, then drawing the leg outwardly to bring the perpendicular part I! against'the inner end of the socket.

When applying the described stand to an ob ject, such as the trunk of a Christmas tree, it has been found most convenient to first remove the leg members I4 from the base plate H1. The center of the tree is spotted, and the screw I5 is driven therein, using the'plate as a hand'piece by which the screw is turned. Thereafter the leg members are applied to the socket portions of the plate It) in the manner previously de- 3 scribed and the stand is then placed on a horizontal surface so as to support the tree trunk vertically. It will appear that the weight of the tree on the base plate causes the outer ends of the legs to spread apart, accompanied by an angular flexing of the leg sockets II. This causes the pronged ends 2! of the jaw portions to engage the trunk of the tree or other upright object: The device adjusts itself'to objects of different diameters,lst-he self-adjustment being efiected by the flexing or pivoting of the socket portions II under the weight of the tree, so that the jaws at the upper ends of the legs converge toward and collectively embrace the trunk.

Having thus described my invention,- what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A holder of the character described co prising a base plate having radially projecting sockets, triangularly shaped legs having substantially horizontal portions slidably disposed in said sockets and normally. held at their inner ends by said sockets, said horizontal leg portions having intermediate zones of reduced cross-section and said sockets having openings for the lateral insertion and removal ofsaid leg portions at said reduced zones thereof, and jaw projecting inwardly from the upper corners of said legs.

2. A device 'of the character described comprising a base plate having means at the center thereof engageable with the lower end of an object to be held, and having fiat sockets projecting radially therefrom, said sockets being adapted to flex to vary the angular relationship thereof to the plane of the base plate, legs detachably connected to said base plate, each leg comprising a length of flat stock bent to triangular form, said legs each having a substantially horizontal portion slidably disposed in one of said plate sockets, an intermediate section of said leg portion being of reduced width, said sockets having elongated openings in their upper sides, the reduced sections of said legs being adapted to be passed laterally into and out of said sockets, through said openings, and jaw portions projecting inwardly from the upper corners of said legs.

VERNE J. CARLBERG.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record in -the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Varner Mar. 31, 1942 

